Yes, the Amigos were there in 1978, when America’s first national guitar show took flight in a Dallas hotel basement. John Brinkmann and crew organized that now-legendary event, which garnered participation from a dozen-or-so nervous and nationally-known dealers. No one owned guitar stands, so Les Pauls and Stellas shared table tops next to each other. Curious show-goers meandered among stacks of empty cases in the narrow aisles, and exhibitors warily posted prices on their merchandise.

John, owner of Waco Vintage in Mansfield, Texas, along with veteran dealers, Larry Briggs of Strings West in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dave Crocker of Fly-By-Night Music in Neosho, Missouri, and Eugene Robertson of Eugene’s Guitars Plus in Dallas, would later form Texas Guitar Shows, Inc., perhaps America’s most prolific and respected show organization. The 4 Amigos have continually fine-tuned the look and feel of guitar shows, taking them from hotel ballrooms to glitzy and spacious venues such as the Arlington Convention Center, Santa Monica Civic, Austin’s Crockett Center, and the DuPage Expo Center near Chicago.

Some one hundred forty shows later, Amigos events are still known for their smooth-running organization, tight security, and the abundance of foreign and domestic buyers. Since founding Texas Guitar Shows, the 4 Amigos have pioneered almost every innovation in the guitar show business. The fabulous Arlington, Texas show remains the world’s largest consumer guitar event, and is considered by many exhibitors to be the show to attend.